Connect withRichard Purcell

Richard Purcell

Visiting Instructor of Religion

“In teaching biblical studies, I strive to help students hear and engage with voices other than their own, both in the texts that we study and in classroom dialogue. I work to encourage students to become critical Christian thinkers, individuals that listen with empathy and speak carefully. The study of religious traditions fosters empathy and flexibility in students that will benefit them in any path they choose to pursue.”

Prof. Richard Purcell has received his Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Hebrew Bible / Old Testament at Emory University. His research interests include biblical poetry, ancient Near Eastern art, gender theory, and expressions of rhetoric in both art and text. His dissertation “Icons of Royal Power: Viewing the Rhetoric of the Royal Psalms in the Context of Ancient Near Eastern Royal Art” contextualizes the royal psalms within ancient Near Eastern royal art in an attempt to view the royal psalms as icons in their own right, complex constellations of imagery that sustain royal identities and deal with societal anxieties. His other publications and ongoing work focuses on how ancient art relates to biblical studies as well as how modern theories of gender might help us better understand the rhetoric of ancient texts.

As for hobbies, Richard enjoys hiking, camping, and relaxing in nature.